NETWORK Rail is carrying out repairs to the rail line which will lead to overnight noise and road diversions for people in Norton.

The business has gone to great lengths to inform local people and councils that the work is taking place and everyone recognises the need to ensure that our railways are safe.

But people living in Norton near the rail crossing would be more welcoming of Network Rail’s work if it had also committed to helping to tackle the repeated serious flooding.

Within weeks of the last major flood in November 2012, Network Rail met officers from Ryedale District Council, the Environment Agency and North Yorkshire County Council.

Flood victims had seen the massive pumping operation repeatedly suspended to allow trains to pass, leading floodwater to rise each time, increasing the flood threat to more homes The track operator agreed at a meeting after that fiasco that it could help by installing hollow sleepers to house temporary pipes to be used during future floods, but this has not yet happened.

Network Rail appears to be a law unto itself – even during major floods it refused to halt trains to allow the emergency services to do their job efficiently – instead fire crews had to pump over the lines and remove the pipes every time a train was due. Ironically, only a couple of days earlier they were operating a replacement bus service from Malton and I am still baffled why this wasn’t done at the time to save the emergency services a lot of time and energy and reduce the risk to homes and businesses.

The track operator is now adding insult to injury by informing residents who live alongside the railway in Norton that the crossing will be closed on numerous occasions during October and November, but despite our repeated requests to install the hollow sleepers – or the pipework now proposed to go under the track – the work is apparently not going to happen at the same time.

Network Rail’s reason for not having installed these sleepers so far, or the alternative of a pipe under the line – was that the job has to be carried out at the same time as other essential works to minimise disruption – these works are now taking place.

There is no excuse for failing to ensure the pipe is put in place under the line at the same time.

The failure does not just belong to Network Rail, all the parties concerned are letting down the residents of Norton, particularly North Yorkshire County Council, Ryedale District Council and Yorkshire Water.

There are no excuses for failing to do the work now, before its too late.

Come on Network Rail – you have run out of excuses - and the people who have been repeatedly affected by flooding in Norton might be more accepting of your “noisy”

maintenance works if you were doing something to help avoid them from being flooded again at the same time.

Councillor Di Keal, district and town councillor, Norton